Square



C. HUDKINS May l0, 1949.

SQUARE Filed Jan. 10, 1946 /4 l l] l HIIIHI'III Iv l. lz

. j Inventor y 6 /5/06 Had/(Nsmaf t 2g, L WW Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED s'rli'rssy erreur OFFICE s Clyde Hudkins, Moundsville, W. Va.

Application lllanuary 10, 1946, Serial No. 640,329

l 2 Claims'. 1

My invention relates to improvements in squares for use in carpentry work, and the like, the primary object in view being to provide simply constructed,` inexpensive, folding` square adapted for a wider range of use than present types of squares, and for maintaining absoluteiy true regardless of wear. l y Another object is to provide a square for use compass-wise with a carpenters pencil as a stylus and for describing circles with radii measured in inches and fractions thereof.

Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention, together with the pre cise nature of my improvements, and the fold advantages thereof will be readily underst when the succeeding description and claims read with reference to the drawings accompany ing and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vview in plan, partly section, of my improved square,

.Figure 2 is a fragmentary similar View looking at the opposite side of the square,

Figure 3 is another similar view showing blade folded,

Figure 4 is a View in end elevation with blade folded, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in planv of the blade.

Reference being had to the drawing by numerals, my improved square inf the preferred illustrated embodiment thereof, comprises' an oblong rectangular handle I of metal or wood, pro vided in one end, in the median plane of the handle, with a transverse slot 2. A longitudinal slot 3 is also provided in the handle I, in one side edge thereof and which extends from the slot 2 to the opposite end of the handle in a common plane with the slot 2. The opposite side edge 4 of the handle I, and which constitutes the working edge for positioning against the work, has countersunk therein a spirit level 5, of the usual type. A metal facing strip 5 extending along said working edge il, from the bottom of the slot 2, covers the spirit level 5 with the exception of a sight opening l in said strip for viewing said level 5 therethrough. Screws 8 fasten the spirit level 5 in place. Screws 9 fasten the facing strip 6 in place and are extended through longitudinal slots Ill in said facing s ip 6 which provides for endwise adjustment of said strip 6 for a purpose presently seen.

An oblong, straight edge, metal blade II, of the same width as the handle I, is pivoted at one end, as at I2, in the slot 2 for swinging into the slot 3 into folded position, or, out of said slot 3 either into alignment with the handle I or into right-angular relation to the working edge i of said handle, the arrangement being such that when said blade II is aligned with said handle, its side edges align with the side edges of said handle to form straight edge extensions of the Side edges of thehandle, and when said blade II is swung into right-angularrelation to the working edge Il, one side edge of said blade II extends outwardly of the slot 2v to expose all of said edge and the other side edge of said blade II abuts one end of the facing strip 6 so that said end forms a stop establishing the rightangular position of the blade. A screw i3 with a swiveled nger grip I3' thereon extends through the slotted end of the handle I and through an arcuate slot It in the pivoted endof the blade II for clamping said plate in different positions.

One edge of the blade II is graduated, as at I5, on both sides thereof in inches and fractions of an inch and for the usual purpose, The opposite side edge, hereinafter referred to as the inner side edge, is provided with a row of oblong openings I 5 therein spaced apart along said in one-half inch spacings as shown. The openings Ie' are of the proper size toreceive therein the usual at lead of a carpenters pencil,- not shown, and are arranged, preferably, with their longer axes disposed transversely of the blade l i. A through center opening il is provided in the handle I, which, in the right-angular position of the blade I I is aligned with a row of openings I6 and is spaced one-half inch from the nearest opening I6 of the row. A similar opening I8 is provided in the blade I I to register with the opening I'I.

A second row of openings I 9, similar to the openings I6 and similarly spaced apart in onehalf inch spacings, is provided in the longitudinal center of the blade I I, and a row of center forming openings 20 is provided in the longitudinal center of the handle I. The openings I 6, I9, as shown, are aligned tranvsersely of the blade I I with appropriate graduations I5 and are shown as arranged one-half inch apart in each row for illustrative purposes only.

The blade II is graduated at its pivoted end, as at 2I, on one side, for angular adjustment of said blade with the graduations reading against the4 end of the handle I to which the blade II is pivoted. The nearest openings in the rows I9, 20 are arranged as shown to be three inches apart when the blade II is aligned with the handle I and said openings 20, as shown, are

spaced one inch apart but such spacing may be varied as will be understood.

The described square may be used for ordinary purposes and additionally as follows: With the blade II in right-angular position, various circles may be described by using a nail, or the like, in the opening I'I, to provide a pivot point, inserting the lead of a carpenters pencil in any selected opening I6, and swinging the square about the pivot provided as described. Thus, circles of various radii beginning with one-half inch and increasing in one-half inch increments may be described by selective insertion of the lead of the pencil in the opening I6, as will be clear. With the blade II aligned with the handle I, and using the openings I9 and 20, in the same manner, circles may be also described starting with a radius of three inches and increasing either in one-half inch increments by selective use of the openings I9, or, in inch increments by selective use of the openings 20, or, in inch and one-half increments by selective use of the openings I9 and 20. The openings 20 are appropriately numbered to indicate the diameter of circles which may be described by using either with the nearest opening I9. By adjusting the facing strip 6, the blade II may always be maintained in right-angular position to the handle I, or theJ working edge 4, when said blade is swung against the stop forming end of the strip, regardless of wear on the pivot I2 of the blade II.

With the blade II in right angular position to the handle I, the square may be used to accuratee ly place saw-cut lines, for instance, for rip sawing, by placingl the handle against one side edge of the work with the blade II crosswise on the same, inserting a pencil point in a selected opening I6 or I9 and drawing the square along the Work.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a square of the class described, an oblong handle having a working side edge with a longitudinal slot in the other side edge thereof, an elongated blade of the same Width as said handle pivoted at one end in one end of the handle for folding edgewise into said slot and unfolding selectively out of said slot into right angular relation to said working edge or into longitudinal alignment with said handle with opposite side edges of the blade aligned with opposite side edges of the handle, -a facing strip on said Working edge having a stop forming end engaged by said blade when said blade is unfolded into right angular relation, and means for adjust/ably securing said strip to said working edge to vary the position of said stop forming end and true up said blade in said right angular position of the same.

2. In a square of the class described, an oblong handle having a working side edge with a longitudinal slot in the other side edge thereof, an elongated blade `of the same width as said handle pivoted at one end in one end of the handle for folding edgewise into said slot and unfolding selectively out of said slot into right angular relation to said working edge or into longitudinal alignment with said handle with opposite side edges of the blade aligned with opposite side edges of the handle, Ia facing strip on said working edge having a stop forming end engaged by said blade when said blade is unfolded into right angular relation, and means for adjustably securing said strip to said working edge to vary the position of said stop forming end and true up said blade in said right angular position of the same, said end of the handle being cross slotted to straddle the pivoted end of the blade for clamping engagement therewith to hold said blade in unfolded positions and provided with a clamping screw for clampingly engaging the same with the pivoted end of the blade, said pivoted end of the blade having an arcuate slot therein receiving said screw to permit said blade to be unfolded.

CLYDE I-IUDKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 120,675 Shelley Nov. 7, 1871 579,023 Stay Mar, 16, 1897 765,300 Williams July 19, 1904 805,058 Daniels Nov. 21, 1905 937,020 Brandt Oct. 12, 1909 1,021,850 Shakley Apr. 2, 1912 

